Ghassan Alian | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Native name | غسان عليان |
| Born | (1972-03-21)21 March 1972 (age 53) |
| Allegiance |  Israel |
| Branch |  Israel Defense Forces |
| Years of service | 1990– |
| Rank |  Aluf (Major General) |
| Unit | Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories |
| Battles / wars | |
Ghassan Alian (Arabic:غسان عليان,Hebrew:רסאן עליאן; born 21 March 1972) is anIsraeli-Druze officer in theIDF and the current head of theCoordinator of Government Activities in the Territories.Aluf by rank (equivalent toMajor General), he has previously served asCentral Command's executive officer and head of theIsraeli Civil Administration. Alian is one of the highest ranking Druze Arabs in the IDF and has served since 1990.[1]
Ghassan Alian is fromShefa-'Amr.[2] He and his wife Shirin have three children.[3]
Alian was Chief Infantry and Paratroopers Officer and commanding officer of theGolani Brigade.[1] He is the first non-Jewish commander of the brigade[1][4] and the secondDruze officer to command anIsrael Defense Forces infantry brigade; the first wasImad Fares, commander of theGivati Brigade.[5] Alian was previously the commander of theDuchifat Battalion, a reserve unit commander with theAlexandroni Brigade,[5] and commander of theMenashe Territorial Brigade nearJenin in theWest Bank.[2] He had taken officer training at the same time asNaftali Bennett,Minister of the Economy, who praised Alian's selection as Golani Brigade commander by calling him "a brother".[2] Prior to his appointment to the post of commander, Alian served as the brigade's deputy commander along with other appointments.[2] In October 2013Benny Gantz, the IDF's chief of staff, made the appointment.[5]
Alian was wounded in a battle on 19 July 2014 during overnight clashes in the northernGaza Strip as part ofOperation Protective Edge.[1] He was lightly injured in his eye, but his vision was not affected.[1] He was evacuated toSoroka Hospital inBeersheba and while being treated he reportedly stated, "I have a lot of soldiers over there and I need to get back to them".[1] He later returned to his soldiers after being treated.[6]
On March 14, 2021, he was promoted to Aluf rank and on April 6 of the same year he began his role as the head of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories.[7][8]
In the wake of theHamas invasion on 7 October, he was criticized for saying "We are fighting human animals and we act accordingly."[9]
In January 2025, theHind Rajab Foundation urged Italian authorities to arrest Ghassan for alleged genocide and war crimes during his reported visit to Rome. The requests were submitted to the ICC and Italian authorities. The HRF accused him of enforcing Gaza’s total blockade post-October-2023, with the Foundation saying that he weaponized famine by cutting food, water, and medical supplies, as well as targeting hospitals and infrastructure. Italy had denied his inclusion in Foreign MinisterGideon Saar’s delegation, while Israel confirmed his visit had occurred separately.[10][11] United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories,Francesca Albanese, writing on X (formerly Twitter), supported the HRF’s efforts to hold Alian accountable for alleged war crimes. Noting his potential imminent departure from Italy, she described the need for stronger global legal networks to swiftly address suspects of international crimes.[12][13][14]